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Monthly Archives: January 2012

Adapted from The Meditation Year
by Jane Hope (Storey Books, 2001)I am a Prince of Peace
Sitting on a Throne of Poise
Directing the Kingdom of my Activities.
–Anonymous

Often we feel unsettled by our thoughts, knocked off balance by their
force and urgency, but when we practice this meditation we learn to
return to the present moment, beginning to trust that the present moment
contains all we need. In this way, we develop equanimity and learn to
dance with changing circumstances rather than fight them.
Learn how to do this easy, beautiful, peace-promoting meditation right
here:
1. Sit, as if you were on a throne, with dignity and stability. Allow
your breath to move gently through your body. Let each breath be like a
sigh, bringing with it a wave of calmness and relaxation.
2. Become aware of what feels closed and constricted in your body, your
mind, and your heart. With each breath, let space open up those
closed-in feelings. Let your mind expand into space, unobstructed and
relaxed. Open your mind, your emotions, and your senses. Note whatever
feelings, images, emotions, or sensations come to you.
3. Each time you feel carried away on a wave of thought, return to your
sense of steadiness and connection with the earth. Feel as if you were
sitting on a throne in the very heart of your world. As you sit,
appreciate moments of stability and peace in life. Reflect on how the
feelings, emotions, and stories that appear in your mind come into
existence and then disappear. Return to your body and rest for a moment
in the equanimity and peace that exists in the center of your thoughts,
dreams, and memories.
4. Sit in this way for 10 minutes, then slowly stand up and take a few
steps, walking with the same sense of awareness. Watch how your sense of
solidity and balance continues after the mediation is over.

No instructions are given, although I suppose you steep the ground resins in the alcohol till dissolved, then add the cinnamon oil, indigo, and ground gum arabic. Filter and bottle. * Used for curses, binding,

——————————————————————————– —Description—It is prepared in thin tough flexible bands, outer surface blackish or blackish grey, inner surface, pale brownish, sometimes striped, with whitish tasteless wood adhering. It is inodorous, very astringent (root more so than the leaves) and rather bitter. —Constituents—Tannic acid is abundant in it up to 10 per cent, and can be extracted readily by boiling water or dilute alcohol.

—Medicinal Action and Uses—An astringent tonic for diarrhoea, dysentery, etc. It is very similar in action to the wild English Blackberry.

—Other Species—Of the genus Rubus a large number are indigenous in the United States, where they are called Blackberry, Dewberry, Cloudberry. Most of them are shrubby or suffruticose briers, with astringent roots and edible berries, some have annual stems without prickles, these are called Raspberries.

About Oniata: Oniata, an Iroquois Goddess, embodies what it means to be a good sport. According to legend she came to live with the Iroquois, who found her beauty distracting, so much so that men left their families just to catch a glimpse of her radiance. When Oniata found out about this, rather than getting angry with the men, she left the Earth. The only trace of her beauty she left behind was the sprouting of Spring flowers peeking out from melting snow.

To Do Today: Plant some early blooming seeds today so that when they blossom, Oniata’s good humor and temperament can also bloom in your life.

In Canada, people take this opportunity to enjoy the last remnants of Winter by participating in various sporting activities ( especially skating ) and by making snow sculptures. Try the latter activity yourself; perhaps create a flower out of packed snow to honor and welcome Oniata. If you live in a warm climate, you can blend up some ice cubes to a snowy consistency for sculpting, and make it into a snowcone afterward to internalize the energy! Or, consider going to an ice rink for a little rest and relaxation. Return outside and appreciate any flowers nearby. Oniata lives in their fragrance and loveliness.

from 365 Goddess – A Daily Guide to the Magick and Inspiration of the Goddess by Patricia Telesco

Goddess Meditation

I went to Ausrine and asked what she did, and Ausrine answered, “I am Saule’s servant, the darling little mother-sun. I kindle her fire every morning, very early, very early.”

I went to the Sun and asked her about Ausrine. “She is dawn, my fire-kindler,” Saule said. And what about Vakyrine, star of evening? I asked. “Vakyrine fluffs up my bed for me,” she said.

~ Lithuanian Folksongs

Not all people saw the goddess as cosmic and unapproachable. To many people she has been a part of the family, a familiar voice in daily life, a member of the community. In Baltic folksongs, recorded in Lithuania and Latvia, the Goddess is a hard-working woman like any other in the village. She lives with her family of daughter goddesses, each of whom have special household tasks. She goes to work each day and returns, tired and ready for bed. She is, in other words, just like you, just like me.

And we are just like her. It is not only our great actions that make us goddesses, but our invisible daily lives as well. Like her, we rise each morning; like her, we retire to our beds each night. We talk with our friends, we do our work, we care for our loved ones. In each of these actions, we are participating in the energy and power of the goddess.

from The Goddess Companion – Daily Meditations on the Feminine Spirit by Patricia Monaghan

Recipe for a Gardener’s Wreath
Mix peanut butter, birdseed & suet. Spread mixture on a pine cone or
small grapevine wreath. Hang it from a tree outside for your fine
feathered friends.
“Scatter raisins on the ground to attract Robins”

Grow a Gourd Birdhouse
Grow a bottle gourd to provide a home for martins, wrens & swallows.
Allow gourd to dry on the vine. Then store in a cool dark place for
several months to dry completely. Drill a one inch hole for the door and
a small drainage hole in the bottom. Varnish the Gourd and hang it
outdoors for your Fine Feathered Friends.
“Spine-tailed swifts have been clocked at speeds of up to 220 miles per
hour”

Log Birdfeeder
We just took and ordinary piece of a small log and carved holes into it.
We filled the holes with bird meal and fastened some decorative chain
for hanging and then hung it out in the yard. It was very popular with
the birds this winter. – Jackie
“Most small birds can fly at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour”

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